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New on-the-spot penalties for careless driving are unenforceable with the current numbers of traffic officers, the Police Federation has warned (Telegraph).
According to the Telegraph, the Police Federation says the DfT had failed to take account of Home Office cuts to the policing budget.
Steve White, vice-chairman of the Police Federation, said: “It’s all very well for the DfT to come up with these new ideas when the Home Office are at the same time cutting the number of police around the country, which means a fall in the number of traffic police.
“The levels of fatalities are increasing on the roads while the number of police officers is at its lowest per 100,000 of population since the 1970s.
“The rules are a useful tool but if you haven’t got the officers to give out the tickets, it’s not going to make a difference.
“The DfT and the Home Office need to talk to each other.”
The subjective nature of the offences and the variation in interpretation leans towards a risk of inconsisent application across the country. That is just human nature. I was pleased to read today that similar concerns have been expressed by the Freight Transport Association.
Pat , Wales
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I think it should be taken as read that any incidents will be captured on video – doesn’t anyone watch TV?
Hugh Jones, Cheshire
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It is nice to see the comment from Pat of Wales. I hope that his/her faith in the worth of evidence from the police is never tested, should he/she be brutally assaulted from behind and the only witness is a police officer. Mind, finding a police officer is another matter, particularly on road motor patrol.
Alan Hale – South Gloucestershire.
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It will be interesting to see how the police will bring evidence to court to support the issue of a FPN when these are challenged by the motoring public. Is the word of a police officer in court really that much higher than Mr average motorist? Where is the onus – on the police to prove or on the motorist to disprove?
Pat,, Wales
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Hugh, I thought so too.
Carlos
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The Police Federation spokesman says “The levels of fatalities are increasing on the roads…” Are they? I thought they were decreasing.
Hugh Jones, Cheshire
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This will cause more court cases than it will prevent, because no technology is to be used,(when it is available and has been for a very long time). For officers to actually get an acceptance from a driver they will virtually need to be the only vehicle on the road, and in lane 2 (or 3) which is how lanes are recognised. Having been on the front line in Traffic, without technological support and with diminishing numbers to enforce – this is a lip service by the government. These applications of the law might be what the public want but it is the public who are committing the offences, so with one hand they complain and the other they are the offenders – its a no win situation for the Police. I didn’t see any enforcement yesterday when it came on line and there were many offenders out there to be given tickets.
Barry Kenward – Hampshire
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Clearly the Police Federation representative has a poor understanding of the English language. Whether a fine is enforceable is only dependent on whether a prosecution or penalty can legally be applied. It’s because the “fine” is the noun and “unenforceable” is the adjective that provides more information about it.
Clearly the police have a choice about how they use the substantial manpower they already have. They are expected to use that choice according to the priorities of society and not based upon an aspiration for more resources.
Fines and laws are therefore always enforceable. By all means the federation may claim it needs more resources but to pick on a government intervention that increases the productivity of the police seems somewhat bizarre.
Rod King, Cheshire 20’s Plenty for Us
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Again, it’s not a new set of laws requiring more policing, it’s the same law as before but able to be more expediently enforced. I would have thought the Police would appreciate this change, as in most cases it would mean less time in Court and more time on the road for the officers.
Hugh Jones, Cheshire
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